Up next in our staff's Top Ten Fantasy Baseball players for 2010 is Anthony Catanzaro.  Anthony joined the staff after winning the Great Debate 2009 and will lead the charge in this year's competition. So, if you want to butter him up, now's your chance.

1.  Albert Pujols- Head and shoulders above the rest, King Albert contributes in every category, and at an elite level in all but steals.  His countable stats will put you ahead in R, HR, and RBI, but his stellar batting average often goes overlooked.

Fun Stat:  Albert Pujols is a lifetime .333 hitter.  Yup, you guessed it- that means he gets a hit 1/3 of the time.

2.  Hanley Ramirez- HanRam actually has a similar profile to Pujols in terms of fantasy value; he produces across the board, at elite levels in all but one category: home runs.  His SS eligibility gives him a boost over the next four players, but he may not outperform them.

Fun Stat:  HanRam hit a career high .342 in 2009, which was at least partly due to his career high BABIP: .384

3.  Alex Rodriguez- Somehow, in my vast and varied fantasy career, I’ve never owned this guy, but there’s no reason not to continue salivating over his robust five-category contributions.  Assume the injury risk is behind him and hope for another MVP-caliber season.

Fun Stat:  The Rodster has equaled or surpassed 100 RBI in 11 straight seasons.  Woot!

4.  Ryan Braun- Meaty, meaty numbers, that's what Braun provides.  Long-term, this guy is on the way up, while A-Rod is on the way down, IMHO.  Next year, I predict these two players will switch places on the ol' draft board.  Well, they will on mine anyway.

Fun Stat- The Brauny man has started his illustrious career with three consecutive 30 HR seasons, joining Albert Pujols as the only player to have managed the feat.  Good company, that.

5.  Chase Utley- Speaking of 30 HR seasons, Chase has averaged just over 29 bombs over the last 4 seasons.  If ever I had a man crush it would be on the guy who gives you 30 HR out of the 2B slot.  (No, I don't mean Dan-freaking-Uggla.  Gross.)

Fun Stat-  My wife and I purposely mis-sing "Oh, Chase Utley" when we listen to the awesome "Clap Your Hands Say Yeah" song "My Yellow Country Teeth."  No idea what I'm talking about?  Check out a live video here: 

6.  Matt Kemp- A power-speed juggernaut, I wouldn't hold it against ya if you drafted the 25-year-old superstar-in-the-making as early as #4.  Yup, that's right- I went there.  The power is developing (.193 ISO in '09) but the speed is the real appeal, especially in Roto leagues.

Fun Stat:  Kemp has increased his walk rate (5.2%, 7.1%, 7.9%) and steal % (67%, 76%, 81%) in each of the last 3 years.

7.  Prince Fielder-  Sometimes it gets hard to sort out all the first base talent, but Prince Fielder is the leader of the non-Pujols crowd by virtue of his ability to achieve elite power numbers without sacrificing average.  He's a pretty sure bet for 40 HR, and that's saying a lot.

Fun Stat:  Fielder had a career high 15.3% walk rate in 2009.  (That's not gonna help him steal any extra bases though, is it?)

8.  Mark Teixeira- I'm slotting Teixeira just a notch below Fielder for a down-tick in power (35 HR ceiling), and uptick in age (30 years old in 2010), but the two players produce similar fantasy stats.  Truth is, I could just as well take BigTex a pick later, espouse the virtues of his superior lineup and higher average, and then mock you for taking Fielder.

Fun Stat:  His BABIP has gone down considerably in 3 consecutive seasons:  .344, .321, .305

9.  Miguel Cabrera-  Miggy gets pushed down in the First Basemen's club for question-marks surrounding his drinking problem, but I'd still be happy to grab him in the late first round.  His superior average (career .311 hitter) combined with his uber-consistent power (32.8 HR average over the last 6 seasons) make him a Pujols-light, without the aftertaste of having to wait 20 picks to get another player.

Fun Stat:  Miggy has a hearty career BABIP of .350

10.  Ryan Howard-  What other player can boast a three-year average of 47 HR and 141 RBI.  None that I can think of.  He lands after Prince, Tex, and Miggy for a lower career average (.279) and because, depending on your league, you could be penalized for his oodles of strikeouts.

Fun Fact:  Among all of the top-tier First Basemen, Howard has the widest batting average range: 63 points.  He batted as high as .313 in 2006 and as low as .250 in 2008.

Honorable Mentions:  Matt Holliday, Evan Longoria, Tim Lincecum, Justin Upton, & Roy Halladay

Make sure to check out the Premium Side to see who FP911 has in their Top 10.

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Thanks guys...
written by Anthony Catanzaro, February 10, 2010

And Greg, the good news is, I just learned I have the 3rd pick in my 16 team mixed league and didn't have to take AROD because he went 2nd! Zealous Yankee fans. That left HanRam for me and with that I am more than pleased...

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Love the Fun Facts, but Arod???
written by Greg Marta, February 09, 2010

the fun facts are great, luv em, I'm waaaay on record with how down I am on arod this season and #3 overall seems high for a player that will turn 35 and has 3 straight years of declining OPS, it just all adds up to decline - otherwise, great work as usual,

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Great Job
written by Jason Harvey, February 08, 2010

Hey Ack, really great job on this. Keep up the good work here.

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